Over the Rainbow
by MotatoPotato
Summary: SJ. Vignette 15. SAP ALERT Sam has an offworld experience she's having trouble dealing with.


**Title: **Over the Rainbow

**Author: **MotatoPotato

**Spoilers: **Quest pt.1

**Season: ** 10

**Warnings: **SJ Ship. Companion to '_The General's Daughter'. _Some language, innuendo, large amounts of sappiness.

**Disclaimer: **Not mine. Sadly. I only twist what is there.

**Notes: **This is fifteenth in a series of same universe vignettes.

**Please let me know what you think….It's how I improve and it keeps me writing!! Enjoy.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lt. Colonel Sam Carter awoke to find one Maj. General Jack O'Neill very comfortably sprawled on her, arms hugging her midsection. She smiled at the utterly adorable picture he presented; legs splayed, hands at her sides, head on her stomach with unruly tufts of hair sticking up. She moved her hand to his head, softly stroking through his short silver hair.

He made a small noise of contentment and rubbed his face sleepily against her belly.

Her heart tugged as she wondered how they had survived so long without being allowed a moment like this.

Or how she would tell him what she had discovered on SG-1's last mission.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_She remembered becoming aware before she opened her eyes. She momentarily felt a surge of panic until she heard his voice murmuring quietly. Sam felt overwhelmingly disoriented as she found herself in the Infirmary, before remembering the words spoken to her before the darkness._

_Sam turned towards his voice, struggling to see him, making sure it was real and not another hallucination. _

_She found him sitting on the bed next to hers, body unnaturally still as he watched Dr. Lam walk away. He turned suddenly as if he felt her eyes on him. Sam thought he probably had. Their eyes met and held. She held out her hand and he hopped down and squeezed._

_Perching on the side of her bed he looked down at her with loaded brown eyes. A blanket of warmth settled over her._

_He dragged his thumb over her knuckles soothingly. He knew immediately what she wanted when she tightened her grip._

_"Not gonna happen. Not gettin' rid of me. Stop askin'."_

_Sam smiled and drifted off again, knowing her General was standing guard._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She made herself look away from Jack, knowing she would wake him if she stared too long. Him and his freaky senses. She tried not to move much while she took a look around and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. They must have been damn tired to have fallen asleep in the middle of a field in a public park! They hadn't even made it to the food they'd brought.

She saw the other four rolling around in the dirt trying to teach Vala how to play football. Teal'c seemed to be doing a lot of the instructing much to everyone's amusement.

She almost snorted when she saw Vala run behind Daniel who was then bowled over by Teal'c. All three were glaring at Cam who couldn't stand upright for his laughter. He didn't see it coming. Which either worried or amused her immensely, she couldn't decide.

At any rate she could hear him howling from where she sat. Jack groaned, sending a very pleasant vibration through her insides. She looked down to see liquid brown eyes blinking at her drowsily. "What's goin' on…?"

She laughed. "You missed watching Cam getting pummeled by the others."

Jack looked almost sad. "Nuts." He dropped a warm lingering kiss on the exposed skin where her t-shirt had ridden up before moving to sit. She sat up too and leaned over this time, resting her head on his shoulder. He pulled her into him a hand dangling over her shoulder.

They weren't usually this obviously affectionate in public. However Sam had just had a very close call. Adding that scare with the fact that Jack hadn't spent more than a day or two with his wife in more than two months was enough to let them indulge in a little close contact.

Of course, what they would consider an extreme PDA wouldn't exactly be considered much by most.

Jack leaned over, and grabbed a beer from the little cooler. He had put this team day together in the hopes of bringing up morale. SG-1 had been taking a beating in the field lately, Jack working himself into a frenzied exhaustion trying to hold the DC wolves at bay.

They were all a bit perturbed and not a little fatigued. Which is why Jack thought they should have a full day of fun, food, and friends. He was calling it his 'Plan F'.

Jack smiled at Sam and then stood up, stretching with a groan of pleasure. Sam watched the lithe movement enjoying her husband's appearance. Damn. She'd probably still think he was hot at ninety.

She stood up next to him and they jogged over to the others, leaping into the thick of things with loud whoops, ignoring the knowing glances from all sides.

It was called when Jack found himself face down in the dirt, Tealc's holding his head down, one arm twisted to his back. "Teal'c, as much as I love this buddy…"

He stood looking ruffled when all the rest started howling with laughter. He had dirt streaks all across one side of his face giving him a definite little boy air. Sam took pity and went over, helping to brush it off, running her fingers lovingly over the lines of his jaw.

He bared his teeth in a predatory grin. She stood her ground as he yanked her into a hug, brushing stray hair out of her eyes.

Daniel pretended to vomit; while Teal'c rolled his eyes mockingly. Cameron was playing with the football, while Vala hurried to Daniel to see if he was ill.

The pair turned and watched the playful antics.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that afternoon, Cameron crowed loudly as he bowled a spare, pointing and whooping. Jack rolled his eyes going back to the story Vala was telling.

"So, Baal says 'Why don't you squeeze him through the bars? He's little.' And then Teal'c, oh you'll love this, Darling…" She squeezed Jack's arm excitedly. "So he says 'I shall squeeze you through the bars if you do not help.' I would have laughed had the situation not been as it was…"

Jack grinned. "T, I'm so glad you're gettin' the whole 'earth humor' thing. I'm proud of ya, buddy."

Teal'c merely inclined his head and let his eyes twinkle.

Sam watched Jack as he easily conversed with the new and old members of SG-1. Sam couldn't stop turning her recent experience over and over in her mind. It had brought to light some things about the two of them. Things she longed to be the truth.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Sam stood rather apprehensively before the Matriarch of the colony on P3A-493. SG-1 had come after Daniel had found reference to a powerful teaching device. One that could possibly help turn the tide in their fight against the Ori._

_The Matriarch, Paelessa, agreed to help, but on the condition that only Sam could experience the 'gifting' as she called it. After a brief conferral, they decided to go ahead. The risk was acceptable._

_Carter stood before Paelessa, looking her in the eyes as she held up a glowing iridescent orb and brought it to Sam's forehead. She cried out as a surge of energy blasted her senses, knocking her into a black oblivion._

_She never heard the yells of her team as they ran to her crumpled form._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack shook her shoulder looking at her with mild concern and full blown affection. "You ok there, Carter? Been talking here..."

She shook herself. "Just fine, _Sir_." The purred title made Jack shiver slightly.

"Well c'mon then homewrecker! We got ourselves a shindig waitin'."

Sam smiled. "Will there be cake?"

Jack mock scowled. "What are you nuts?"

She let him pull her up, leaning into him for a brief moment. She prayed that what she had seen was what was to be. Paelessa had explained to her alone the device showed the path the viewer was currently on. Basically the future she was on her way to having. If somebody somewhere didn't do anything to change the path ahead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack was grilling the steaks as well as Daniel. "So, Danny…"

"Jack?"

"Steak?"

"Medium."

"Charred it is."

Daniel sighed. "Jack?"

"Daniel?"

"Jack!"

"Damn."

"What?"

"I need more beer."

"You are so..."

"Vala?" Jack took a swing of Guinness.

Daniel choked on his beer. "What?"

"You and her…"

"She's…what?!"

"Date?"

"So not a date!"

"Hmm."

"Shut up, Jack."

"So, not together?"

"Jack."

"I'm hungry."

Daniel rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile as Jack went back to flailing his beer and poking the meat.

After everyone had eaten Jack, in his infinite wisdom, had made three bucketfuls of jell-o filled balloons. He figured he'd combine three of his favorite things. Jell-o, hitting targets, and Sam covered in jell-o.

//Mmmmm. Jell-o covered Sam. // It was the stuff of dreams.

Jack didn't inform the others until he had gotten several shots in. Soon they were covered in a rainbow of jell-o, laughing, relaxed, panting, and happy. Mission accomplished.

Everyone started to leave after that, tired and slimy. Sam and Jack carefully cleared up, still slathered.

It was Sam who came before him, leaning in close to lick some jell-o off his neck. He shuddered when she nipped the tendon. She rose to give him a slippery kiss. He pulled her in close; she felt the stubble scrape at the same time the skin slide. Damn it was hot. Her knees went weak.

He swept her up with a playful growl and carried her to the bathroom where they remained for a good portion of the evening.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam lay tangled with Jack on the couch, a Futurama episode playing in the background. The feel of his warm skin; the soft flannel of his pajama pants; the cotton of his undershirt combined with his heady scent was lulling her into a state of half-sleep. She snuggled closer to him as he sleepily dropped a kiss in her hair.

This was one of the things she loved most. They didn't need to talk. It was enough just to be. Stubborn, dense, astonishing Jack. Damned if she didn't love him.

She knew she was in trouble the moment they met. Whether she would acknowledged it or not.

They were so different! Opposite ends of the spectrum. But they were also so fundamentally the same. Each had qualities that complimented the other's. It was uncanny.

Her thoughts drifted again to what she had seen when Paelessa had 'gifted' her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Her world went black. She didn't know how long she drifted for. A scene came into sharp focus. A blinding light exploding red over the earth and all planets, galaxy after galaxy._

_Sam Carter and Rodney McKay working with the Ancient's cryptic help had done it._

_The Ori were no more._

_Ooooooooooooooooooooo_

_Sam flew at Jack in the airport and they clung together like no tomorrow. He could retire. They could have their life after years of patiently waiting. It was their day. Jack leaned in close, his voice rough with the overwhelming emotion exploding in him. "Somewhere over the rainbow…" He stopped, collecting himself. _

_She raised her lips to his ear. "...Dreams come true."_

_She clung tighter, as if she were trying to crawl into him._

_Always._

_Ooooooooooooooooooo_

_Jack's deep, delighted laugh rang loudly out in the backyard. There were loud shrieks and giggles._

_Sam set aside her laptop and wandered to the door._

_What she saw made her sigh contentedly._

_Her husband swung their little son up into the air as he squealed in a naïve happiness only a child could know. He moaned unhappily as Jack put him down to grab their sweet little girl and toss her over his shoulder, beating her small fists against him._

_He always called her slugger. The little thing was force to be reckoned with, so much like her father in appearance and attitude. Her brown eyes were lethal._

_Her brother was more reserved but just as assertive when need be. They were their parent's children. That was for sure. _

_The boy scampered to Sam. "Mommy!"_

_Sam allowed herself to be pulled into the middle of the fray. She caught Jack's eye. They both felt it._

_This was what they waited for. It was worth it._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack shifted against her pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Jack?"

"Sam?"

"Do you believe in…?"

"Happily ever…?"

She never ceased to be amazed at how he seemingly read her thoughts sometimes. "Yeah."

"After all my years at the SGC, I'd say about anythin' is possible."

"I saw…with the orb…I didn't say in the report…but it showed me a path to a possible future."

"Oh?"

She whispered. "_They_ were gone… you and me…"

His eyes dropped briefly; she knew he was imagining that moment.

She sighed. "Over the rainbow…"

His lips rested near her ear bathing it in a puff of warm breath as he spoke. "Then that's the way it'll be." He paused. "Back to Kansas."

"Jack I just want so much…"

He tightened his hold on her.

"You and me."


End file.
